‘The Joint’ Can’t Be Registered As Trademark, Fed. Cir. Affirms

A Las Vegas concert venue’s attempt to register trademarks covering “The Joint” for nightclub and restaurant services was properly rejected by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, the Federal Circuit said Friday.

“The Joint” is a descriptive term, and its double entendre as a “playful or ironic” reference to a prison didn’t make the mark registrable, the court said.

JC Hospitality LLC owned and operated The Joint in the Las Vegas Hard Rock Hotel, which closed Feb. 3. Both are scheduled to reopen later this year after the property is renovated and rebranded as Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.

The U.S. ...